Chap. III. O. F H O R S E - H O E S. 4^1 



to the extremity of the fins a or b, is from 12 to 13 inches. Five 

 inches from the point d, is a hole e, into which is inferted the 

 crooked pointyi of the iron fafeguardj^^'-. 19, which is ufed in this 

 country in order to fallen the ear to the lliare of the plough. Upon 

 the fliare is placed a fmall triangular ear h, fig. 21, 22, and 23; 

 fomewhat concave at bottom, that the two fmall ears may join ex- 

 adly to the lliare at about an inch diftance from the edge of the fins. 

 This ear is about two inches and a half high at a, fig. 22, and is 

 faftened firmly to the Ihare by a double and angular fafeguard, 

 which covers its edge as far as b. It is fixed at one end by its 

 point, which enters into the hole e, fig. 18, in the Ihare, and by four 

 fmall pins fattened to the ear. Fig. 19 and 20 reprefent this fafe- 

 guard. The double ear is faftened at its other extremity, by the 

 Iheat, or upright piece e, g-fig- 22, which pafi'es through the 

 ground-reft of the hinder part of the ear and beam, and by a piece 

 of iron c d bent in a right angle. This piece of iron covers the fore 

 part of the llieat, and refts upon the tail of the ear, againft which the 

 beam prelles it very tight, by means of a wedge e, driven into the 

 flieat. The piece c d may likewife ferve to fix two mould-boards 

 from g to c. It is nine inches high, /"is another Iheat or upright 

 piece, which joins the beam to the ground-reft, to add to the ftrength 

 and folidity of the inftrument, which is increafed alfo by the lower 

 part of the handles being fixed in the ground-reft at /, and traverfed 

 by the beam at k. 



M. de Villiers, in a letter to M. Duhamel gives the following ac- 

 count of his manner of ufing this cultivator. 



" Finding it, fays he, impoflible to plow my alleys well when 

 ** they were but three feet or three feet and a half wide, without 

 ** greatly damaging the rows of corn bordering on themj I refolved 

 " to make them four feet wide, and took particular care to have the 

 " rows drilled very ftrait. Even then, I found but one way of 

 *' plowing them well, which is, to open the firft furrow fo near the 

 " bed, that the next furrow within that may come within two or 

 ** three inches of the neareft row of plants in the bed, turning over the 

 ** earth of thefe furrows towards the alley. After two or three fuch 

 " turns of the plough, the plowman will be fure not to make any 

 " miftake. It is of great importance to cut this firft furrow, by 

 " which all the others are directed, quite parallel to the rows. The 

 ** reft of the work will then go on regularly, and without any of 

 *• that confuiion, which would be capable of giving many people a 



M mm 2 " diflike 



